Holiness or sanctification is the process of making something holy. After all, holiness is necessary for salvation. We hear the Gospel, and through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit and our belief in the truth of God’s Word, we are saved and reconciled to the Lord. The very personal journey to holiness is an ever upward spiral of becoming more like Jesus and less like you.
Month: September 2017
Proverbs 11:17 ” A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.”
Demonstrating kindness to others can only benefit ourselves…for it doesn’t cost a thing to be kind. Matthew 7:12 is considered “The Golden Rule”, its principle being, we need to treat others as we would wish to be treated. But instead, we human beings usually demand love, respect, and appreciation… whether we deserve it or not. The Golden Rule simply says…Do you want respect, love and appreciation?…then show respect, love and appreciation to others first. Jesus desires us to be proactive in our kindness…not waiting until someone is kind to us first, but rather reaching out with kindness first, regardless if it’s reciprocated or not.
I Thessalonians 1:2 ” We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.”
And I do want to thank each one of you! Today marks the 5th Anniversary of the Safetypinlove.com. This post is its 1639th devotional…reaching into 121 countries around the world. As I marvel at God’s work, His faithfulness, and His divine guidance, I want to take this moment to thank each and every one of you who have faithfully stood by me in this endeavor over the last five years. Your words of encouragement and support have spurred me on many times when I felt I couldn’t continue. So what have I learned in 5 years writing this daily devotional? I’ve learned that God can use anyone as long as they are obedient. He will take what you have, and then bless and multiply it for His glory. I’ve learned that my vision is minuscule compared to God’s vision…and that I shouldn’t limit His vision for me or for this Devotional. And finally, I’ve learned to be grateful…grateful for readers who share posts with others over Social Media, thankful for each new country that’s been added to the Reader base, and especially I thank God for you…whether you’ve been part of this for the last 5 years, or you’ve stumbled upon this for the very first time today…know that you’re not here by chance, but that God has brought you here for a reason. For the Lord loves you and His Word is alive and powerful and filling the world. To Him be the glory! Pam
Romans 12:1 ” Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.”
Do you have an attitude of gratitude towards God? Is your perspective colored by thankfulness for what the Lord has done in your life? It’s then you fully realize the compassion and love God has lavished on you… and that you have been called and set apart for His work. For out of that profound gratitude will come a desire to serve and to live a life worthy of the calling. (Eph. 4:1)
Joshua 1:8 ” Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
So many times I get into the Bible, only to not be able to remember a single thing I read an hour later. It’s not that I don’t want to glean wisdom from the Word…it’s just that my mind wanders and my attention wanes. Meditation simply means to contemplate, reflect, or dwell upon…which then takes reading the Bible to a whole different level. When I can take a passage I’m reading and ponder how I can apply it practically to my life…the scripture will then morph into a plan, and an aspiration for me. I can take what I just read and apply it to my life and it then becomes part of me.
John 1:10 ” He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.”
I think as Believers, we all smugly think that if we had lived during Biblical times and had witnessed the miracles and teachings of Jesus…we would of immediately realized He was the Messiah. But would we? Humanity saw Him as just another man…indeed, a good man who taught with unheard of authority and passion, but still just a flesh and blood human like the rest of us. Would we have been able to recognize His divinity…when the incarnate Jesus Christ…the embodiment of God took on human form and lived among us? I would hope and pray so.
Psalm 116:6 ” The Lord protects the simple-hearted; when I was in great need, He saved me.”
The Lord is watching over us. Us, the simple, plain folk with honest, sincere hearts and a desire to love our neighbor as ourselves. Us, the common people with uncommon grit and perseverance when disaster strikes. Yes, we may be just ordinary people, but with God’s help, we can come together to do extraordinary things.
Hebrews 9:12 ” He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.”
You have been redeemed! Your debt of sin has been cleared off the books forever…your freedom purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. But Jesus didn’t have to die over and over a multitude of times to atone for your sins… rather, He came and gave His life once for all in order that you may have eternal life. Yes, you have been redeemed!
Job 25:4 ” How then can a man be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure? “
The simple answer to these questions is…we can’t. In our immoral human state, we are not innocent before God and in right standing with Him, and no matter what we try to “do” to become righteous we will fail, for all of our good works are like filthy rags in His eyes, (Isaiah 64:6) The only way we can stand pure before God is to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, (that’s us) and to bear on His body our guilt and shame that we may stand before our Heavenly Father sinless and perfect…washed in the blood of Jesus.
Safetypinlove 